C O N T E N T S

JUNE 2011

Velo Vision is published appoximately quarterly by Velo Vision Ltd. Subscription details, news and updates can be found on www.velovision.com ISSN 1475-4312 Velo Vision Magazine York Eco Business Centre Amy Johnson Way York, YO30 4AG, UK Tel/Fax +44 1904 692800 (from UK, 01904 692800) Email peter@velovision.com Website www.velovision.com EDITOR AND PUBLISHER: Peter Eland EDITORIAL ASSISTANT: Sue Archer PHOTO ASSISTANT: Debz Butterworth ART DIRECTOR: Brian Holt WEB PROGRAMMER: Simon Ward PRINTER: Stephens & George Magazines Ltd Velo Vision and Velo-Vision We weren’t first with the name. Velo-Vision is a bike shop in Körten, near Bergisch-Gladbach, Germany. Velo Vision magazine exists in friendly harmony with Velo-Vision in Germany. Velo Vision is printed on paper produced from sustainable forests to Nordic Swan standards.

COVER: Howard Yeomans takes to the saddle with Bikes Made Good, his mobile repair service: see page 16. OPPOSITE: Adrian Griffiths demonstrates his TopTrail interconnected suspension prototype. Read more on page 46. Both photos: Peter Eland

4 News Pedal powered performance, off-roading for all, stolen trike recovered, a bike business for sale and more.

8 SPEZI 2011 Full report from the sixteenth Special Bikes

Show in Germersheim, Germany.

16 Bikes made good Reader Howard Yeomans describes how with an 8 Freight, a toolbox and some ingenious modifications he’s delivering bike repairs for a living in Thornbury, near Bristol.

20 Review: Trisled Rotovelo Riding the revolutionary roto-moulded velomobile from Australia: is it as tough and practical as they say?

24 Review: Jango Flik A folding bike with designer appeal put through its paces.

27 Review: Paper Bicycle It’s a cleverly crafted comfort cruiser with a customisable chaincase; can it appeal as a do-it-all cycle?

30 Review: Dahon IOS XL Dahon have thrown a lot of technology at this top-of-the-range commuter bike with 24" wheels: is it an effective end result?

33 Short reviews 33 Purple Sky Flags: a premium flag from the USA via Germany.

33 Danny Bent’s book This time you’ve gone too far, Sir! 34 Suspension seatposts revisited: an

Australian reader compares four posts. 36 The Whike, a sail-assisted recumbent trike, tested.

38 Meeting the makers Taking a break from dealer visits we drop in on two manufacturing operations: the Burrows Engineering workshop near Norwich, and Inspired Cycle Engineering in Cornwall.

44 Velo-City Seville Claude Marthaler reports on the conference in Spain, from the unlikely site of a cycling revolution.

46 Readers’ bikes 46 Suspension invention: the promising

TopTrail linked suspension technology. 49 From Birdy to Dahon: a German reader explains why he chose to change cycles.

52 Letters Cycle curiosities worldwide, cycling at 80,

Brompton bite back and more in our round-up of reader letters.

54 Subscribe to Velo Vision How to subscribe, back issues and details of our distributors worldwide.

55 Advertisements The first place to look for specialist products and services! Please support these advertisers, who support this magazine.

Lanterne rouge

Well, this issue is finally out, and subscribers should all have a letter with it explaining the delay, and our future plans, in more detail. As you’ll have noticed, we haven’t managed to make up time at all since Issue 40 was delayed by illness – and it’s likely that for a limited time future issues may be somewhat less than perfectly quarterly as we cope with the start-up of Electric Bike alongside running Velo Vision.

Thank you in advance for your patience: I’m doing my very best to get them out as fast as possible without a drop in quality. It’s not been an easy year.

Meanwhile, I hope you enjoy this issue, with reviews galore, dealer visits to ICE and Mike Burrows, and another full report from the SPEZI in Germany.

Peter Eland

I S SUE 41 J UNE 2011 VELOVISION

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